Railway-signal



(No Model.)

E. C. CARTER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 448,773. Patented Mar. .24, 1891.

Jiwaz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD C. CARTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RA! LWAY- SIG NAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,773, dated March 24, 1891.

Application filed December 2, 1890. Serial No. 373,361. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD O. CARTER, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals,

of which the following is a specification.

vention in what I consider its best form.

Figure 1 represents a post and head with the danger-signal displayed. Fig. 2 shows a head with the clear signal displayed. Fig. 3 shows the interior of the head,the front plate of the same being removed. Fig. 4: is a section on line 4 4: of Fig. Fig. 5 is a cross section of an arm enlarged. Fig. (3 shows the preferred form of operating-motor.

In the drawings, 1 is a suitable casing provided on its face with slots 2 and 3, one of which, as 2, may be horizontal and the other extend in a different direction, as, for example, obliquely downward, as shown. Back of each of these slots and within the casing I arrange a rotatable device at 5, part of whose surface is of a color contrasting with that of the face of the casing and part of the same color, or approximately the same, when it is broad enough to show. In the form shown the devices at and 5 are skeleton arms covered with a translucent material, as silk. The arms 4: and 5 may be connected by gearing 6 or otherwise, so that the rotation of one will effect that of the other. 7 is an electric motor composed of magnets 8,between whose poles 9 is mounted a revolving armature 10. The armature 10 is connected with the axis of one of thearms, as 4, so as to turn the same.

In operatiomthe motor being started turns the arms 4 and 5, so that the contrasting color of one shows through the slot in the face of the casing, while the other shows the same color as the face, thus giving the effect of a single arm projecting in the position of said slot, through which the contrasting color is seen, and giving a signal to an approaching train. A reverse motion of the motor or a further movement in the same direction gives the reverse signal .by bringing the contrasting color of the secondarm opposite its slot in the face and withdrawing that of the first one.

For use at night I arrange a light 11 behind an opening 12 in the casing, sothat its light shines through the same'and through the silk 13 of the arm. If desired,lights may be placed behind each arm; but as their arrangement would be the same, I have thought it sufficient to show but one.

13 is an adjustable counter-weight so ar- 'anged, as shown, that it will automatically exhibit the danger-signal by bringing the devices to the position shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4:, so that if the motor fails to operate, the danger-signal will be displayed and accident averted.

It is obvious that many modifications may be made in the apparatus shown and the invention may be embodied in many different forms without departing from its spirit. I have therefore shown only that which I consider the best, leaving others to the option of the mechanic constructing the invention.

I claim-- 1. A railway-signal comprising two or more signaling devices or arms permanently occupying diiferentaxial positions and adapted to be exposed to view and concealed, thereby giving an indication by the position of the exposed device, substantially as set forth.

2. A railway-signal comprising two or more signaling" devices orarms permanently occupying different axial positions and rotatable on longitudinal axes and adapted by said rotation to be exposed to view or concealed, sub, stantially as set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as set forth, of aeasing provided with slots occupying different angular positions in its face with movable arms opposite each slot adapted by their movement to render the slots visible or invisible, thereby giving an indication by the position of the visible slot.

l. The combination, substantially as set counter-weight to normally exhibit; the dam forth, of the casing provided with slots, as 2 ger-signal, substantially as set forth. 3, occupying different positions in its face, 6. The combination, substantially as set with the rotatable arms, as 4 5, behind said forth, of the light with a signaling-arm in 5 sl0ts,and an electric motor, as 7,1'0 rotate said front of it adapted to be turned eclg'ewise or I 5 arms. fiatwise to the light to vary the signal given. 5. In a railwaysignal, two or more arms or ED\VARD C. CARTER.

signaling devices permanently occupying dif- \Vitnesses:

ferent axial positions and adapted to be ex- VM. S. BATES,

[O posed and concealed, in combination with a 1 L. M. FRENCH. 

